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Up to four confirmed bids had been submitted for Chelsea before the 21:00 GMT deadline on Friday, according to widespread reports.
Chelsea have been put up for sale by Roman Abramovich, who has had his assets frozen by both the UK government and the EU (EU) in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Abramovich is said to value the club, which he bought in 2003, at £ 3 billion.
Investment firm Raine Group oversees the process of selling the club, with any funds to be sent to a charity or into a frozen account.
By the time the deadline expired, four parties had confirmed that they had submitted bids for the clubs, although it is expected that more bids will be able to be announced or submitted over the weekend.
The new owner of Chelsea must be approved by the government as well as pass the usual Premier League checks.
An interested party is a consortium led by the British property developer and Chelsea supporter Nick Candy. A spokesman for Candy’s Blue Football Consortium said, as reported by BBC Sport: “I can confirm that the two South Korean companies Hana Financial Group and C&P Sports Group are a significant part of Mr. Candy’s global consortium of investors. Their commitment is representative of Chelsea’s global brand and huge loyal fan base in Asia. ” Candy wants to rebuild Stamford Bridge if he succeeds in buying the club. Former Blues manager Gianluca Vialli is also involved.
Tea Ricketts familyowners of MLB’s Chicago Cubs and backed by hedge fund entrepreneur Ken Griffin, is another party officially having submitted a bid.
Martin Broughtonthe former Liverpool chairman, and Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, heads another consortium that has submitted a bid. “I’m sure Sir Martin is the right man to lead Chelsea Football Club into its next chapter,” Coe said in a statement earlier this week.
The other party that has submitted a bid is a consortium led by Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and American businessman Todd Boehly, a co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jonathan Goldstein, a British businessman, journalist Daniel Finkelstein and PR guru Barbara Charone have joined this group.
Following Abramovich’s sanction, Chelsea have not been able to sell any match tickets or merchandise, although season ticket holders can still take part in home matches.
They have also had a cap on the cost of playing home games and their travels to away games.
Thomas Tuchel’s team meets Middlesbrough in the FA Cup this weekend.
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